David Plummer – Des Portraits de la Maison de la Chance
In the village churchyard there grows an old yew,
Every spring it blossoms anew:
Old passports can’t do that, my dear, old passports can’t do that.
The consul banged the table and said,
“If you’ve got no passport you’re officially dead”:
But we are still alive, my dear, but we are still alive.
Stood on a great plain in the falling snow;
Ten thousand soldiers marched to and fro:
Looking for you and me, my dear, looking for you and me.
Extracts from W.H. Auden Poem; ‘Refugee Blues’.
—
La Maison de la Chance, The House of Good Luck, is a nickname given to a women’s refugee shelter in Calais, France. The refuge is a place of safety for trafficked women, vulnerable to sexual exploitation.
The following ID Photos were collected from the refuge between November and December of 2008 having been discarded by their owners before continuing their perilous journey to the U.K & Canada.
When taken, these ID Photos were perhaps unremarkable. Now, given the dangerous journey many trafficked women have undertaken, these photos invite us to meet them, think about them and ourselves whilst facing this issue where women are frequently forced into a situation of extreme dependency.
Photographs: David Plummer
Website: www.lightstalkers.org/davidplummer
I had written a long post at the same time the thread was being taken down so it apparently is lost. But basically I agree with Bob Black’s posts above and he said it all better than me anyway. Shocking I know….
Interested to hear more from the photographer and DAH.
ALL –
for reference, the David Plummer essay was pulled offline at 2.19 pm this afternoon.
I have also been in continuous contact with David AH over the phone this entire afternoon. As soon as we both realized our potential error in judgment by having published this essay, we both decided to pull the essay immediately.
After re-checking all, we realized that our potential error in judgement, was a research error on our behalf: information that, stupidly enough, we both simply missed. If we hadn’t missed it, of course we wouldn’t have published this essay…
David AH, David Plummer, and myself, will meticulously go over the essay facts again, and double-check everything so there can be no mistake as to intent, permission, and such.
Personally i think i made a big mistake. I didn’t see the obvious. And I have no explanation other than that i missed it…
And damn i feel really bad now, like i let everyone down.
Now that BURN is getting more and more popular every single day, and more and more essays are being submitted, both David AH and I feel that, if something like this is able to slip past our own checks, we have to employ a full time researcher to manually check all the facts for every essay submitted that is potentially publishable. We really have no other choice i think, to protect us from our own mistakes.
Again, David wants me to emphasize that he is constantly available by phone, even though driving right now and not being able to jump in here rightaway. he will arrive in NYC late tonight, and be back here as soon as he can.
thanks
anton
BURNIANS and CIVILIANS,
BREATH…and listen to your hearts wherever you are…in a MAISON,in a hotel room, in a guest room, in a library…
Voltaire:
“We are all full of weakness and errors, let us mutually pardon each other our follies. It is the first law of nature”
KEEP ROLLING … I want to smell flowers today !!!!!!!
Thank you all for taking the images off BURN. Stupid question, Beate, if you ever dump DUH and I ever dump my loved one, I want to have your baby! :)
Anton/David:
for the record let me say that the two of you did nothing wrong by running the story. You worked under the assumption (as I do, every time i get a photographer to submit an essay or picture to Burn) that the photographer had done the work/thought/consent. this is not the New YOrker and we cannot afford to pay someone to verify/legalize, etc. In the heat of the moment, essays and pictures come up and ideas/information gets missed. We all do this. We all do things that probably warrant a second reflection. Shit, I’m the king of firing-off-at-the-first idea ;))))…..If anything, I feel bad that I didnt look at the pictures soon enough, but, let me say that you and David did NOT let anyone down. I can give the readership a glimmer into the behind-the-scenes bit: it is hectic hectic hectic. The amount of emails and submissions and information flying everywhere. In the time i’ve been involved, it’s made me delerious. Multiply this by the technical work and the amount of time spent + all the other emails both of you must manage + all the obligations David has. I think there isn’t a single reader or contributor who doesnt’ understand that Burn is being running/managed/published/organized by essentially 2 people. Even with all the work I have done in the last couple of weeks, still the brunt of the heavy lifting is done by the 2 of you. There is nothing to be ashamed of and Magazines/Newspapers all the time sometimes make ‘mistakes’ and there is NO full time fact checker/legal counsel/correspondent, etc. The responsibility, we all believe, has been to trust the photographer and the information provided.
Please do NOT beat yourself up. It created an important discussion and I would like to get back to it as well. I personally had the luxury to look at the essay and think about it before writing. Often in the editor-in-chief/publisher’s chair, you dont have that luxury of time/reflection. It happens.
I believe something ALWAYS comes toward good and I hope this has lead to not only awareness but can bring help as well to this story, La Maison and the role that photographers give to CONSIDER their responsibility when photographing people (i think that was DAH’s original intent).
Neither you nor David should be ashamed and YOU 2 DID NOT LET US DOWN. believe me…i tell you that as editor-at-large as well! I should have looked at the work the moment it was published and I failed to do that as well.
BURN is growing and it’s a day-by-day operation and part of being truthful is also accepting things sometimes get off track. David and I once got totally off track, long ago ;)))…and see all the good that came from that!
Get some rest anton….we’re all in this together:
a community for community.
the best: that, i hope, in all this, we think, all of us think, more critically about our relationship to people and our responsibility as well.
Sending you a long-distance hug
running
bob
Disagree, Bob, about “you did nothing wrong by running the story.” The system went extremely wrong. Luckily, the public chimed in and the DUH or company paid attention. Someone could have been killed, that’s how wrong it went. I trust everyone learned a stupid lesson.
I am still unclear regarding the circumstances surrounding these photos, the women in them, the place where the photos were taken, how they were obtained and issues regarding consent. I am even unclear of the definition of the term “trafficked women.” There could be more than one nuance to this. There has been a lot of speculation regarding all of this so I would encourage David Plummer to clearly address the issues raised. Actually, at this point I’d say David Plummer has a responsibility to do so clearly and openly.
Attached is a link to the United Nations Guide to Ethics and Human Rights in Counter-Trafficking. It is a PDF.
http://www.no-trafficking.org/reach_micro/uniap_ethics_guidelines.pdf.
The most relevant bits on photography:
“All photos in this Guide are in compliance with the ethical standards
detailed herein. All photos were taken only after consent was
gained from the subject, with all identifying characteristics of
trafficked persons or possible traffickers concealed.”
This is followed by many pages on what is appropriate and what is not. Without exception, there must be no intervention without full consent and absolutely no coercion. This is not an aesthetic issue or in any way wrapped up in critical theory or any other sort of critique of visual culture. It is a human rights issue.
And of course, I think it would be inappropriate to name the actual facility these photos came from at this point.
Yeah, it’s hard to give a pass on decisions that could actually put real people in danger. Or have legal implications for them.
If Burn intends to publish journalism or this kind of stuff, someone needs to ask the hard questions before these things are published. While I understand the few people actually making the decisions here are overwhelmed trying to keep Burn going and do their own work, this incident should make them step back and consider the possible consequences of trying to do so. Maybe move a little slower. I dunno.
you did nothing wrong by running the story. You worked under the assumption …
—————————————————
Let’s call a cat a cat, Bob. It’s ok, we are all big boys here, DAH and Anton won’t loose one inch of esteem from any of us, who owe them so much, and have our full undying respect. But if Anton took down the pictures, he must have thought it had been wrong to put them up, no? Both of them have been working their butt off for BURN, so if they wrongly ran the story, forgot to think thru the implications, it’s understandable.
DAH will teel us if he assumes anything, too, about ownership of the images, moral ownership if you wish. I could see how someone would think the essay will publicize some wrong done to women. David’s M.O. is the code of honor, and let people introduce their work as they wish. This one essay deserved a bit more scrutiny, but fell thru the net (so, BTW, is la maison de la chance a real NGO outfit in Calais?).
It’s not bound to happen too many times, and gosh, if that is not learning curve right there! Do we need someone to check facts? Only if You, Anton or David have no time for a few explanatory e-mails with the suhtor. David Plummer does not strike me as a vile sneaky person. Really, a few e-mails would have helped you guys make the decision.
Don’t fret, you are all doing such great work, and If you need someone to… :-) “waterboard” an author, I can help….. I mean, you know, e-mail, get info anf double-check, if needed.
It was interesting to hear from David Plummer himself. I’m still none the wiser on his motives for publishing these images. I wish he would talk sense….
Whatever the reasons these photos should not be shown again on BURN. In my opinion respect for human rights should be a fundamental principal of any photographic essay published here.
Really proud of belonging to such concerned readership, frankly. I really thought the essay was going to go the way of “who cares how he got the pix, what more do you need to know? it is an important story on women used and the pictures do just that!”…
My hats off, guys and gals. And David Plummer, join us back, will ya?
Anyone in Berkeley? I am going there now, Salgado is introducing an 8 months exhibit of his work, at the David Brower center, 6-9pm, 2150 Allston way. He better show some releases!!! :-)))))))
Jim, you have had your kicks so let it go. The essay was rightly pulled, but it is not necessary to harp on the point. It was a mistake and everyone is obviously aware of that. This website is not a large agency or corporation. So, it doesn’t have the resources to always prevent something like this occurring. Now that this incident has happened, common sense dictates that hard questions will be asked. Why state the obvious.
Thankyou,
Johan
How can anyone in their right mind (not to mention four in their so-called right minds) not consider the ethics of publishing ID photos dug out of the trash? Of Muslim women no less? And vulnerable Muslim women from a safe house on top of that? Of all the essays submitted to Burn, all of them, THIS was the best that you could come up with? Seriously? ID´s? I thought our essays and photos were being judged against the best of the best. I thought if we weren´t published it was because our work was suitable FOR the trash bin. I never thought our work was being judged against the best OF the trash bin. And to think that the tragic nature of this essay struck a titillating nerve in FOUR grown men. God, i feel dirty. Did you see the eyes on these women? The sadness? Seems they knew there was just no escape for them from exploitation. I would like to think this essay was yanked not because these women were in danger of being exposed but because somebody actually grew a conscience.
And yes, Burnians, i agree with Herve. Well done…your united voice of outrage has been so reassuring..
Because David has said that Burn is not a rehearsal, it’s the real deal.
If you point a loaded gun, you better be damned sure of your target before you pull the trigger.
Kathleen, that was part of my first question. Why was this published on Burn at all. Publish the work of those 1,000 EPF entries. There seems to be a tendency to go for “edgy.”
Johan,
Damn. Jim is right. He´s a news editor. He knows about thinking through this kind of stuff and the consequences of not doing so. This is a first class web publication. We are expected to be first class photographers. We´re put through the mill by Burnians if we slip up to the slightest degree. There is ONE essay published at a time. Only ONE. There are many to choose from but someone makes the choice and does so according to standards of quality and ethical considerations. If there´s no time to do it well then wait until there is time. Or nominate a rotating committee to have a hand in the selection pending DAH´s final approval. I´m sure many would volunteer.
what has kept it going is the soft shoe being done about how such a thing could happen. This is as outrageous to me as the Dem´s saying they had no idea there were no WMD in Iraq when they ok´d the war. It was their job to know. That´s the point.
and now i am done..work and photos to do..
kat
Jim,
I agree with you but am sure most of those EPF essays will be plenty edgy. And edgy´s great for me. But what happened today was a collective management collapse. I can see one person slipping up and losing his head but FOUR? Very strange.
best
kat
Kathleen I agree with you to a point. Standing up and telling what is right was the correct response – he did that very well. But to harp with his presistant recurring comments, it was obvious he was fueling the fire just for personal kicks. Unfortunately, perhaps I was the only who can see through that twisted logic. How can anyone not see that hard questions won’t be rightly asked? Common sense given the circumstances>
Thankyou,
Johan
Johan, I’m not “fueling the fire.” This is important to me. If Burn is going to publish photos and essays that look like journalism, those editing that content need to take the ethical implications VERY seriously. Everyone’s human, of course, but these choices have real world consequences to real world people. It’s not a game. It’s serious business. These photos were up for several hours. They are now cached somewhere on the web, even though they were taken down. You can’t undo that. Every one of these decisions has consequences.
This was not even a close ethical call. They shouldn’t have been published. What happens when the call is a close one?
HEY STOOP::
beate is MINE, and not DUHs..
and yes – shes is a kind apart from many.. and our son is a joy.. but we don´t swing i´m afraid
:ø)
Jim you asked what happens when the call is a close one? Well no doubt you will be there to tell us. Or alternatively the powers to be will decide that it is not suitable for Burn. Which ever way, it is comforting to know that we have you as a ‘safety-net’. I doubt after the release of this essay that anything as morally wrong will be published. Time will tell as it always does.
Now, there is a difference between objecting to an essay that is morally wrong and then rehashing the same points over and over as you did for personal attention. I find it difficult to believe that you can’t see that.
Thankyou,
Johan
David P,
I ‘d be interested to know how you obtained permission to use pictures that you didn’t take yourself .
Did you interview & meet any of the subjects; did you talk to refugees/ trafficked women at all ? How did you research your topic ?
(Judging from your “and we never learn much about these people,” unfortunately it doesn’t really sounds like it ).
It’s a relief to see the “essay” has been finally removed.
i wonder if this thread itself could be allowed to die or be taken down..
it´s purpose has been served.. and i don´t see david P dropping by.
as bob has said – there are some GREAT examples of found photography.. and here is one for you all which i will try to scan later (5am.. must feed child.. must feed child..)
i have a june 19th 1944 copy of life magazine.. the eisenhower cover with capas d-day photos..
there is a piece entitled the diary of a, ¨jap lieutenant¨, which consists of the pre-war personal photos found on the corpse of the dead man by a u.s. soldier.. the photos are published in chronological order and show happiness, piece and the beauty both of the country and the once handsome soldier on whom they were found.. they are tragic in the most profound way..
to me it bought to mind mcullens set-piece photograph with the found photo of an NVA soldiers girlfriend in vietnam..
as bob mentioned earlier – there is a fascinating discussion to be had here.. so.. i will try to scan the photos and post a link if anyone is interested..
otherwise – all that seems left here is to tear each other up.. :ø/
lets please remember that the mind behind the postings here is after getting us to think.. and a quick decision before a long drive is only that and no more..
pea´s, and chips.
and chairs too.
david b n beate.
I agree with David B. Everyone here knows everyone’s opinion. Let it rest and let the powers that be at Burn work it out. Its not the end of the world.
AND OF COURSE..
the found ID and ¨my son holding part of my fathers rib¨, which marc davidson bravely offered us in the ´my daughters question¨, just a post or two ago.
of course i know the life mag piece, the mcullen photo, davidsons diptych and the photos from this thread are very different..
pete – :ø)
David and all,
Without being a pain and trying to put everything in boxes here’s my professional opinion. I’ve been a photojournalist for 6 years now, and even before I’ve gain access to the profession (where I live you have to do a 2 year professional training in a registered media, this registration in done by the media in a credited, legal and independent organisation for the poupose) one of my personal mantras was to inform people portraited, if not in a public event (e.g a political rally), about what i was doing and have their permition to do it and become invisible to them.
I haven0t seen the photos but by the coments I can understand the case. In my opinion collect photos are not photographer neither photojournalist. before bein a photographer/photojournalist everyone is human and should have the values towards others that they claim to themselves. It’s the code of honour DAH so often speacks. Here in Portugal this code of honour exists in a deontological code for journalists and photohournalists, that has value towards the law. That’s why not everyone’s a professional photographer or has a press card. Ot’s like if you were a cirgein and started to operate people without a training under surveillabce. This is a legal issoe, and in some countroes has come to a radical point (e.g France) that Cartier Bresson or Doisneau will be killed before they we’re born.
However, photographer’s (amateurs or professional’s) are not above the law or common sense in the name of photography or art. That’s why each time someone call themself an artist I tend to say that artits are in the circus. Photography is a new language and we all must take care of it. It’s like a baby. Normally people tend to think about what they can get with photography and the question should be what can I give photography. An artist os noy above the law neither.
To photograph there’s a shutter to press. Period. The rest os commonly called apropriation and for me has the value that it has: yje one that people who buy these kinf of art pay for it. We’re dealing with human beings and being human also should sharp or notion of consequences, even more with new technology.
DAG, Anton and all the other’s: this is not your fault and neither you did something wrong. People who submit work for you or any other media that can be viewed,accessed by public in general should care and be sure to have all the rights of showing, puvlishing, sell, expose people and situations they do. Editors don’t ask freelancers if they have the rights of photographs, it’s implicit. You can tell by the lenses used if ine was close or far, if there was a relationshiio built with the subject or not. This to say that all the rights don’t have to be writen, but there must be a look, a relationship, a presence between those who photograph and the subjects.
In sensitive cases all this becomes more important and urgent. That’s why some bofies of work take so long, this relationship and authorisation thkes time. For e.g the work i’ve done about sadomasochism in Portugal toke 9 months to do, 5 without a single photo taken. 5 months to gain the respect and intimacy with the subjevt and so they we’re absolutly sure that my goal was not to prejudice someone’s life in the name of photography or photohoutnalism.
I think that all this can be solved in the future by a statement somewhere visible in Burn that contents ans moral or legal consequences are in behalf of the authors. In this case I don’t even regognixe any authorship given the photos we’re not done by the person that submitted them. But this is my point of view, and i think that pergaps i’n being to old in demanding values from the society wr live in…
Hope none of the reader of this post founds this comment aggresive and excuse my english and type errors, but seriously it makes me sad to see how light photography and photojournalism can be taken. And please don’t call this type of work photojournalim for the sake of the history fone by our abcesters…
Time to learn and move on.
PS – This was my Non Nlack kinf of comment (in ectension) ever :) Sorry anout that
i’m not drunk just sleepy…sorry noy yo read and correct before submit my post.
I’s like also to add that Jim dodn’t pay me to write all this, and that normally I think his opinions are too stricked. On this point, trying not to ramble forever about it, i have to agree with his position, not his words.
I like to think that photography and photojournalism are a noble profession but is due to misunderstoods like this one that our profession is so baf regarded ny many people. Also, for me photography and photojournalim can have several forms of interpretation and a personal view. I’m not preaching the old school of it because times have change…
I also meant to say “PS – This was my Bob Black kind of comment (in ectension) ever :) Sorry anout that”
Ok I’ll go to sleep now, the kwyboard is fuzzy…
All
I feel awful. I feel jointly. The ethical questions and real dangerous for this women was my first thought, but somehow I ignored them as a “virtual” problems, besides I am never sure I undrestood fully english text. I should react as many of you did. I should react quickly. I failed.
The internet makes all of us separate from real problems somehow. In ours warm homes with morning coffe. photograhpy showing as a real and important informations about world. And this is next example that photographer should think about subject first not about own ego and career and photography.
David, Anton, the error is human… Pictures didn’t remain for a long time on-line, there is very little luck that they were seen by the traffickers… in my opinion…
David P, I hope that you will cast these images to the dustbin if you haven’t their authorizations…
Best, audrey
Sofia, Katharina, Jim
So well said by three who have to stand by what they submit to publishers. I was also going to say that it might be a good time for a FAQ covering all kinds of issues relative to submission of work for publishing consideration here at Burn. And i think this is the real crux of why this discssuion is continuing. Because the issues identified by Jim, Kat Sofia (and others?) go beyond THIS essay. It´s no longer about these women or David Plummer. It´s about the next David Plummer and the next explotative essay and educating the photographer as to why this particular project was unacceptable for consideration. Mentoring new photographers is not just about getting some really cool work into the world, it´s getting a professional world class photographer into the world. And to do that, they also need to have a sense of ethics and morals and respect for their subjects: something that Mr. Plummer seems to be confused about and then spread his swine flue to Burn management.
best
Kat
it is true sofia that many now practicing our young profession are simply not educated to do so..
and this morning i woke up to another email from a hopeful who saw my site, and all they are interested in is:
¨could you let me know some basic setting that work really well for you etc… And what lens/flash you would recommend?¨
there has always been an unspoken code of ethics of photojournalism and yet anyone with a camera can start trading as one.. and no one can be fired from being one in these days of freelance – even if they think it is as simple as getting the right lens and camera settings..
in fact it´s even true to say that many i teach miss completely the complexities of working as a PJ, and gloss over issues i thought essential when i began over a decade ago.
i would also like to echo that no one on the editorial team needs to feel shame – david anton and bob are doing a grand job of picture editing this site and learning as they go.. mistakes have to be forgiven and moved on from and i still think the best way for that is to leave this thread, unless there is a more usable topic based around found photos which can provoke debate.
AS AN ASIDE
PDN have produced an excellent and FREE code of ethics book for reference and i wonder if they might be willing to make it available either for download or for publishing on this site? it is comprehensive reading for the historical context and current practice of photography and is there – ready to go..
it would be a good resource to add to burn..
and for DAVID P.. i woke up this morning and you were the first person i thought of outside of my family.. and so i read back your lack of remorse as you posted it yesterday.. and it sits uncomfortably..
on reflection, with the community of opinion now gathered, do you feel reflective at all about the collection of snaps or your intentions?
i´m not loading this question – i think it would be great if you could at the least lend an opinion .. take up the right to reply.. explore this with us to the same degree you clearly explore photographic theory..
viva dissent.
david
http://rising.blackstar.com/photojournalism-technology-and-ethics-whats-right-and-wrong-today
creating a positive..
http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/content_display/resources/legal-and-copyright-information/e3i6e7defe28b82d056ffc748e26ce8eceb
Where The Hell is Mr Plummer?
We seem to be making a lot of assumptions here and from experience I know that assumption is the mother of error. Without definitive word from the author how can we know? The right thing has been done in killing the story while the author is sought, but all our speculation will remain just that until he clarifies the position.
Maybe its time to leave this until we get word from DAH/ANTON or Mr Plummer.
Anyway, I feel very lucky at the moment to be part of this community. When the chips are down etc…
John
ALL -
i state it again:
There was NO ethical discussion between David and me on this essay, because we assumed that all permissions were in order.
Come on let’s be serious… if David or I would have had any doubts on this, there wouldn’t even have been a discussion at all… we wouldn’t even consider publishing. I would even resent any implication otherwise. If the permissions would prove to be not in order, of course this essay is WAY over the line…
What went horribly wrong, is that we made the mistake of “assuming” permissions were ok, instead of actually checking all permissions ourselves. It didn’t even cross our minds. And yes, it should have. I will not shy away owing up to this…
If all permissions would be in order, i would 100% stand for this essay being published. The images are strong and the story is important to discuss (given the permissions are in order). But right now, until David Plummer comes forward with this information, we will not publish. We have yet to hear from him, but i am sure this will happen soon.
I, and i am sure David AH too, would feel very strongly about an implication that we knew about this on beforehand, or had serious ethical doubts about this essay on beforehand, and then decided to publish the essay anyway…. does anyone actually really think we would do that??? really????
David AH just confirmed he will be up in a couple of hours to join here… i am rushing to the airport now to catch a plane and i won’t be online for 24 hrs. But i will be back as soon as i possibly can.
i hope i have offered some more insight… I am sure David AH will offer much more soonest…
peace
anton
anton and dah.
i agree with a poster above.. it is the photographers job to be educated in what is and is not acceptable.. although i think print magazines normally have a disclaimer for just the reason we could probably use one here :ø9
this place is about exploring ideas – i´m sure that all can see why this work would have been relevant to a place like this – and i can see exactly why this piece would have been chosen .. in fact david mentioned on the first page his intention to provoke discussion on use of photography and more.
my disappointment has to lay with david P.. whos reluctance to engage us is telling i think..
where di the photos come from?
¨well.. i was working as a cleaner in…..¨
i mean – who knows?
safe travels anton. AH _ YOU`RE ON SKYPE:::
:ø)
David Bowen, that was well said. I think you clearly identified the crux of the problem. It is always easy to lay blame here as many have done, but at some point the photographer has to take responsibility for his/her actions. Also, David Plummer’s response was way out there, almost on the verge of nonsense.
Thankyou,
Johan
Anton, you have nothing to blame you, you trust (faire confiance) photographer, and then we do not still know if yes or no David P has the authorizations… I agree with David B and Johan, it’s the responsibility of photographer. Never, I thought it of you nor David…
all the best, audrey
Having followed this “thing” from the beginning I’d like to say:
a) Bravo to Erica for catching this one.
b) Bravo to Anton for his VERY fast reaction.
My view is that there are two quite separate issues here which have been treated as one.
On a philosophical level, we can discuss and debate on our “rights” as photographers versus the rights of the people pictured in our photographs. This discussion though is NOT specific to this essay and we should have this discussion in length in a separate thread. There are too many sub-issues that render this general issue so complex that having this debate focused around this specific essay is just not the way to do it.
On a practical level, yes, it looks like the ball was dropped BUT, we all know that—on its editorial side—Burn is just two people with just a handful of others lending a hand… put this into perspective and compare it to a blunder perpetrated by any corporate giant in the Media and you’ll see that Burn actually responded WAY faster than any of them would.
My two cents…
Hi
regarding my photo essay, Des Portraits de la Maison de la Chance.
These ID photos had been left behind by their previous owners at the refuge, La Maison de la Chance. I have been given full permission to use these ID Photos as I choose by the NGO workers at La Maison de La Chance, who are in direct contact with the refugees depicted in these ID Photos. I have it on good authority that all the women in the photographs were trafficked to Calais and sought refuge in La Maison de la Chance against sexual abuse/rape from people smugglers operating in Calais, France.
The women depicted in these images now reside in the U.K and Canada and though life is still tough for them, they have a much better life-than the hell hole they call the ‘Jungle’ (the forest surrounding Calais)where refugees from Africa and middle east sleep every night.
They were not simply just found in the trash as some people on the forum have seemed to assume!
Yea I saw the images …….
The very idea that PJs or PDN have some sort of monopoly on ethical purity is laughable to say the least…….
Thanks for that post David, some will still not accept your reasoning for presenting the images. So be it,……… I’s apity that the images were not placed within a stronger and more accessible context, the narrative is too thin and they got lost within themselves
There are too many questions left here. You said in your intro they were found in the trash. Are we to understand YOU did not find them in the trash? That the NGO collected them from the trash and gave them to you to publish? For what purpose? I don’t see, given the limited information you included, how publishing them could benefit the NGO or the women. In fact, just the opposite where the women are concerned.
Perhaps both you and the NGO are exploiting these women. Something about this doesn’t ring true. It’s still a little confusing to me how these ID photos ended up in this essay. And why? I can’t even address you, David Plummer, as the photographer, because these are not your photos. As an editor, then, who put them together, doesn’t this bother you a bit ethically?
And, one more time, I thought Burn existed to showcase photographers. There are a lot of photographers who would like to see their original work here. Why showcase an editors edit of ID photos instead?
david P
what was so difficult about that? to me you are still more interested in provoking debate about ethics than these women, if you decided to conceal the very thing which is distracting from the subject of your work for thing long.
whatever your motivations for concealing what people were worried about, i think everyones concern was genuine and highly justified.. so the next question is why conceal until now?
imants –
¨The very idea that PJs or PDN have some sort of monopoly on ethical purity is laughable to say the least…….¨
what? was anyone exerting such a thing? where is your beef?
david pitches himself as a PJ and.. well .. have you read this thread carefully enough to cast aspersions?
very brave of you to pitch in when david finally attempts to end the discourse, as he could have done a great deal earlier had the real issue here been about the women and not his own bag-of-tricks..
the only pity is that david P did not answer his critics and bring the discussion back onto point earlier.. in which case i think many would have viewed the work differently..